Wish You All Have A Wonderful Holiday Season.

The top 5 retail news clips in Asia this week.

1 – Faster frappuccinos in China as Starbucks joins WeChat payments

Starbucks Corp. said it will accept the WeChat payments system at about 2,500 of its cafes across China, enabling customers to complete purchases with a scan of their phone. The agreement with Tencent Holdings Ltd. means the Seattle-based chain joins foreign retailers, including KFC, Disney and Uniqlo, in embracing the cashless mobile payments ubiquitous in China. >>

2 – German wholesaler Metro shifts to new store model in China as land prices rise

In a bid to stay competitive in a fast-changing market, the retailer is changing its approach to store ownership. >>

3 – Nitori to speed up China store openings

Nitori Holdings, the Japanese furniture and home accessory retailer, will expedite store openings in China in an effort to kick-start its global expansion, company sources said. >>

4 -Target China learning fast as it gains momentum

Target China is continuing to learn about the vast mainland market as it builds brand awareness in the region in preparation for a major push. >>

The top 5 retail news clips in Asia this week.

1 – South Korean cosmetics a hit among young Chinese as K-pop booms

Recent intergovernmental spats over anti-ballistic missile systems have failed to harm actress Song Hye-kyo’s standing among young Chinese shoppers. >>

2 – Citic-Carlyle near deal to buy McDonald’s China assets: source

A consortium led by private-equity firm Carlyle Group (CG.O) and Chinese conglomerate Citic Group Corp has neared a deal to buy McDonald’s Corp’s (MCD.N) stores in China and Hong Kong for up to $3 billion, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. >>

3 – FamilyMart Malaysia eyes expansion

Convenience store chain FamilyMart Malaysia is aiming to open up to 1000 stores by 2020. >>

4 -Spar International to open 300 stores in Thailand by 2020 in new partnership deal

Spar International and Bangchak Retail Company today announced a significant new partnership agreement which will see up to 300 new Spar stores opening in Thailand by the end of 2020, as part of a €102 million investment. >>

The top 5 retail news clips in Asia this week.

1 – 7-Eleven Malaysia committed to store expansion

7-Eleven Malaysia is committed to further store network expansion despite the economic headwinds in the nation. >>

2 – 5 retail trends to watch in 2017

According to an article on Smart Company (Australia), 2017 will be the year where customer experience becomes a tangible reality, with a focus on in-store experiences and more personalisation. >>

3 – Yum China in talks to buy delivery services firm Daojia

Yum China Holdings Inc (YUMC.N) is in talks to buy food delivery services firm Daojia for up to $200 million, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as the biggest operator of fast food on the mainland seeks to boost sales from customers dining at home. >>

4 – China’s demand for health and wellness keeps growing

Marathon fever has swept across China in recent years; in 2015, over 330,000 people registered for marathons in China’s tier-one cities, for which there were only 120,000 places. The number has grown again in 2016. >>

The top 5 retail news clips in Asia this week.

1 – FamilyMart to double stores in Thailand, take on 7-Eleven

The number of FamilyMart convenience stores in Thailand will double to over 2,000 within five years as the operator seeks to narrow the gap with industry leader 7-Eleven. >>

2 – CapitaLand to open 8 malls in 2017 with record 1 million sq m of retail space

CapitaLand will open eight shopping malls next year in three Asian countries. With a combined retail gross floor area (GFA) of close to one million square metres, it will be CapitaLand’s largest ever retail space offering in a single year. >>

3 – Suning grows fresh investment in e-commerce food platform

Chinese home appliance retailer Suning Commerce Group has led a US$200 million series C+ round in Yiguo.com, a fresh produce e-commerce platform backed by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Yunfeng Capital, with participation from other unnamed investors. >>

4 – Boom time for Korean convenience store sector

The Korean convenience store sector is experiencing rapid growth as heavyweights battle for market share. The number of convenience stores in South Korea surpassed 33,000 as of the end of October this year, marking a rapid growth since the opening of the first store 27 years ago, according to industry data. >>